Pulse amplitude selective system



Jan. 27, 1948. GREG PULSE AMPLITUDE SELECTIVE SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2, 1944 OUTPUT lMFl/Z 555 o/rrmavr/nmva 15 DECOUPL/AG MIXER 87/765 GRID VOZ Z465 m m V0 T m r MK 0 Jan. 27, D- GRIEG PULSE AMPLITUDE SELECTIVE SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1944 w u u n w u w f m u m m i u n m J u :m w u n u 7 l i u 5 if m 7, 1 (L M AL I N VEN TOR DONAL D D. G/P/fG Jan. 27, 1948. D. D. GRIEG 2,434,921

PULSE AMPLITUDE SELECTIVE SYSTEM Filed Nov. 2, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 n"- m? A IN VEN TOR. DONALD 0. GlP/fG Patented Jan. 27, 1948 .UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PULSE AMPLITUDE SELECTIVE SYSTEM Donald D. Grieg, Forest Hills, N. Y., assig'nor to Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 2, 1944, Serial No. 561,553

21 Claims. 1

This invention relates to radio pulse systems and more particularly to systems for discriminating between electrical pulses in accordance with the amplitude of the pulses. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 467,516, now abandoned, filed December 1, 1942, and is related to my copending application, Serial No. 561,554, filed Nov. 2, 1944, directed to similar subject matter.

Excluding the condition of superposition of pulses, there exist three possibilities of relative amplitude variation during interference between series of wanted andunwanted electrical pulses. These possibilities are where the amplitude of the unwanted pulse is smaller, equal to, or larger than the amplitude of a wantedpulse. Where the unwanted pu se is smaller, it may be eliminated by simple clipping. The probability of two different sources of pulses having the same amplitude and thus causing. interference at a receiver is so small as to be negligible. However, the elimination of unwanted pulses of greater amplitude than wanted pulses has heretofore presented a more difiicult problem,

It is an object of thisinvention to discriminate selectively between pulses differing in amplitude so asto eliminate unwanted pulses regardless of the magnitude of their amplitude relative to wanted pulses.

The method of my invention may, for example, comprise distorting the leading or trailing, or both edges of the unwanted pulses of amplitude greater than the amplitude of the wanted pulses to decrease the slope, then differentiating or otherwise processing the distorted pulses along with the wanted pulses to provide derivation pulses of one polarity corresponding to the leading edges of the input pulses, and derivation pulses of opposite polarity corresponding to the trailing edges of the input pulses. The derivation pulses corresponding to the distorted edges will have, after one or more differentiating operations, smaller amplitudes than the other derivation puses. The derivation pulses resulting from the differentiating step are clipped at alevel at least as high as the amplitude of the pulses derived from the distorted edges, thereby obtain ing a pulse output in accordance with the occurrence of the wanted input pulses."

The distortion of leading and/r trailing edges of the larger amplitude pulses may be accomplished by roducing dissimilar pulse potentials in response to the larger amplitude pulses which are combined or applied in one way or another to the larger amplitude pulse energy, thereby dis- 2 torting either its leading or trailing edge, or both, so that when the pulses are differentiated, the distorted edge or edges will not produce pulses increasing and decreasing sharply in amplitude. Instead, the distorted edges of the input pulse produce upon differentiation bluntor curved pulses which, in many cases, may be of smaller amplitude than the pulses produced by differentiation f the wanted pulses. Should the blunt pulses thus roduced by thedistorted edges be of greater amplitude than the pulsesproduced I from the edges of the wanted pulse, the differentiating operation may be repeated and, since the blunt pulses corresponding to the edges of the distorted pulse become less and less sharp, they can be eliminated or at least reduced to such an amplitude that a clipping operation will completely eliminate the efiect of the larger input pulses.

The dissimilar pulse potentials used for distorting the unwanted pulses may be produced by different methods. For example, each larger. input pulse may be clipped and the clipped portion distorted by condenser action, or it may be displaced in time relative to. the input pulse, or both. The dissimilar pulse potential and the input pulse may be combined either by an algebraic mixing action (addition or subtraction),

or by altering, by means of thedissimilar pulse.

potential, the gain of an amplifier to which the input pulses are applied. 7

For a better understanding of the methods of my invention and of systems by which the methods may be practiced, reference may be made to the fOllOWiIlg detailed description to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a circuit by. which the selective discrimination between the pulses in accordance with amplitude may be effected;

Figs. 2 and 3 are graphical illustrations showing the steps of operation by which pulses of intermediate amplitude can be selectively removed from a train having pulses with amplitudes less than, equal to, and greater than the wanted intermediate pulses;

Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of another system by which the method of thisv invention may be practiced;

Fig. 5 is a graphical illustration useful in explaining the operation of the system of Fig, 4.

Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of a further system of the invention; and

pulses which may be modulated ineither time or width with intelligence.- The pulses- A-and C which are larger and smaller in amplitude, re-

spectively, than pulses B may comprise two addie'.

repI'G.-.

tional channels of intelligence .or merely sent dummy or interfering pulses.

Since the most diflicult discrimination exists I,

where the wanted and unwanted pulses have leading and trailing edges of substantially identi cal slope, I have chosen to illustrate -my .iIIVBD'. tion with pulses of that characteristic.

It 'will i be understood, of course, that the shape characfe teristics may differ widely between the wanted and unwanted ulses without altering the discriminatin ability of my invention. The pulses C of less amplitude are eliminate by first clipping the train of pulses along the amplitude level 3 by passing thewave througha clipper 4. The output of the clipperil, curve I), is applied'to a tube circuit having a vacuum tube 5 which is biased in accordance with the dynamic curve 6 shown in Fig. 2, whereby only the upper portion A1 of the larger amplitude pulses, which extends beyond level 1, appears in the anode circuit 8 of the tube. Connected between the anode circuit 8 and ground is a condenser 9 adapted to be charged upon the occurrence of platecurrent whereby the pulse portion A1 will be distorted.' This distortion providesan output pulse I having curved leading and trailing edges I I and I2 substantially as shown in Fig. 2, and curve 0,,

Fig. 3. Energy of the pulses A and'B isshunted by a connection I3 about the tube and inverter I4 to the mixer stage I5 which mayi .be a. conventional double triode stage with plates. in parallel. The pulse I0 combines inftheplate circuit of the mixer stagewith thelarger amplitude pulse from which it is produced. This, combining of the pulse IIlto the pulse A results; where both are of the same polarity, in a pulse I6 the leading and trailing edges of which are distorted as indicated by curve d. The lower leading edge portion I! of the pulse I6 is substantially vertical but the upper leading edge portion I8 curves from the vertical to the trailing edge p rtion I9, in accordance with the curved leading edge of pulse ID, thereby eliminating the sharp upper left hand corner substantially as indicated by the overlapping pulse shapes of curve 0. The'upper trailing edge portion I9, curve (1, is substantially vertical while the lower trailing edge portion is curved according to the trailing edge of pulse I0. Thus, the upper left hand corner and the lower right hand corner of the pulse A (now pulse |6)--are curved so that subsequent difierentiation of' the pulse produces pulses 2| and 22, curvee; the trailing edges of which have slopes corresponding to the curvatures of the portions I8 and 20,

respectively. v v v The pulse output at (Fig. 1) is applied to a known difierentiating device 26whereby alternate positive and negative .pulsederivations 2|, 22 and 23, .24, curve 8, are produced corresponding in time with the leading and trailingwedgesof the pulse l6 and'the pulse B, respectively- .Ihe vertical portion I'I results-in a vertical: rise i2|a and curved portion 1 8 results: inzan exponential drop substantially as indicated at. 2|b.-; .The leade- 'ariode' 4| of thejtube islconnected to a'positive '55 nection 4611 0the control grid 41 .or the amplifier B the positive pulses 2| and 23 may be threshold clipped at 21- as indicated by the line 21a and the peak portions 28 and 29 resulting therefrom, curve fidlfiere'ntiated. The derivations of such a differentiation ofpulse 28 are a sharp positive pulse -3Il,-curve 9', corresponding to the vertical edge 28a,-;and-a blunt negative pulse 3| corresponding to the sloping edge 2%. Differentiation of pulse2s results in positive and negative pulses 32 and 33 both of which-correspond substantially intime to the leading edge of pulse B. The pulse 3|, curve 9', resulting from the sloping edge 28b, curve 1, is of smaller amplitude than pulse 33. By clipping the negative pulses 33 at a level 34 beyond the pulse 3|; a unidirectional pulse 35, curve h, is obtained corresponding substantially to the occurrence of the leading edge of the pulseB. I

Should one clipping and differentiation be insufficient to reduce the pulse energy resulting from portion I8 or 20, curve d, to less amplitude than the pulse energy resulting from the leading or trailing edge of pulse B, additional clipping and difierentiating operations may be made.- This would be necessary if the clipping level were chosen at 3'5 instead of at 34, curve 9. g I

If a unidirectional pulse is desired corresponding to the trailing edge of the pulse B, the negative pulses 22 and 24, curve e, are threshold clipped as indicated by the clipping level 31,-

curve 2. The output of this clipping operation is differentiated in the same manner as described in connection with the pulses of curve 1 and if necessary the clipping and differentiating operations maybe repeated should the slope of the edge 2 t9, l

a In Figs 4and 5, another system'is'sho-wn including a triode '38 having an input 39 to which ,a pulse train 40. curve 2', maybe applied. The

potentiallsource through a resistor 42Qand is fu rther connectedtothe delay device 43, which in turn is'connectedto a controlgrid 44 of an ampli-'- fier tube 45. The input 39 is connected by a contube 45. The tube 38 is so biased throu h resistor 48'as to pass a portion D1 of the larger amplitude pulses D occurring above acut ofi level 49, curve 2', Fig. 5. A delay ti, curve 7', is imposed on the pulse portion'Di by means of the delay device 43 which preferably comprises a resistance-capacitance network. This network together with re sister 42 distortsthe clipped energy as indicated atDz. The energy D2 being applied to the grid 44 alters the gain of theamplifier tube 45 which sprodu si as; own n L rve;, a h m-pulse w theislq epiat e-tra lin ed es d i s;

indicated at F2.

a blunt pulse 54. The pulse E produces, upon differentiation sharp pulses 56 and 51, curve L.

Should the pulse 51 fail to extend beyond the amplitude of the blunt pulse 54, the output of the differentiating device 55 is clipped at level 55 by passing the pulse energy through a clipper 51, and then re-difierentiated in a second differentiating device 58 thereby producing pulses 59 and 60, curve m, corresponding to the leadin and trailing edges of the pulse 54, and sharp pulses GI and 62 corresponding to the two edges of pulse 51. By clipping thi pulse energy at a level 63 in a clipper 64, a pulse output 65, curve n, corresponding to the trailing edges of the pulse E is produced.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show a further embodiment of the in ention in which the delayed pulse portion is mixed with the unwanted pulse for distorsion of the trailing edge thereof. The unwanted pulse F of the pulse train 66, curve 0, is applied to input connections 61 and 68, the energy over connection 61 being fed to an amplifier 69 biased to threshold clip the pulses at a level 10 at least as high as the amplitude of the wanted pulse G, whereby the upper portion of the unwanted pulse F is obtained, amplified and inverted as indicated at F1, curve 10. The inverted pulse portion F1 is applied toa delay device H whereby the pulse portion is retarded an amount is. It is then applied to a capacitanceresistance circuit I2, 13 where it is distorted as The resistance 13 is chosen high so that it operates to isolate connection 68 from the capacitance 12. The distorted pulse potential F2 is mixed with energy of the unwanted pulse F and the wanted pulses G at connection 14. The pulse potential F2 being retarded by an amount is relative to the unwanted pulse F adds algebraically thereto as indicated by the wave q, Fig. 7. The leading edge 15 of the pulse potential F2 subtracts from the trailing portion of the pulse F thereby distorting the trailing edge thereof as indicated at 16. The portion of the pulse potential F2 extending beyond the trailing edge of the pulse-F appears in the wave at I! as a negative pulse.

The wave train such as illustrated in curve q is applied to a control grid to a vacuum tube 18 which operates to remove the negative pulse portion 11 as indicated by wave r. It will be noted also that the tube 18 inverts the pulse energy so that when the pulses of wave r are applied to diiferentiator 19, the leading edge 89 of the distorted pulse F3 produces a sharp negative pulse 8! while the distorted trailing edge 82 produces a blunt positive'pulse 83. The differentiator also produces sharp negative and positive derivation pulses 84 and 85 corresponding in time with the leading and trailing edges of the wanted pulse G. It will be noted that the distortion of the unwanted pulse may be sufficient to result in a derivation pulse of smaller amplitude than the derivation pulse resulting from the trailing edge of the wanted pulse G. This condition as illustrated in curve 8 clearly indicates that by. applying the output of the differentiator 15 to a clipper circuit 86 capable of clipping the pulses at a leve 81, at least as high as the amplitude of the pulse 83, a pulse output 88 corresponding to the occurrence of the trailing edges of the wanted pulses is obtained.

While I have described the principles of my invention' in connection with several specific systems, it will be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example. Many other methods and systems of distorting the larger amplitude pulses may be used. Furthermore, the amplitude of the larger pulses may be reduced during the threshold clipping by using a'known gate clipper. It will be understood, therefore, that the description of the systems are illustrative of the invention rather than restrictive of the scope as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of discriminating between wanted and unwanted electrical pulses each of said pulses having. leading and trailing edges of similar slope characteristics where the unwanted pulse is of amplitude greater than the wanted pulse, comprising distorting at least one edge of said unwanted pulse, processing said distorted unwanted pulse and said wanted pulse to derive pulses from-said distorted edge and the corresponding edge of said wanted pulse, the distortion of said one edge rendering the derived pulse thereof of smaller amplitude than the pulse derived from the corresponding edge of said wanted pulse, and clipping the derivation pulses at an amplitude level at least as high as said smaller amplitude to obtain an output pulse corresponding to said wanted pulse.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said processing operation includes one or more differentiating operations. I i

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the operation of distorting said unwanted pulse includes decreasing at least in part the steepness of the slope of one of the edges thereof.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the operation of distorting said unwanted pulse includes clipping energy of said unwanted pulse at an amplitude level at least as high as the amplitude of said wanted pulse, changing the shape of the clipped portion, and combining the clipped portion to the unwanted pulse.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the operation of distorting said unwanted pulse includes clipping the said unwanted pulse at an amplitude level at least as high as the amplitude of said wanted pulse, re-shaping the clipped' portion to reduce the steepness of at least'one of the edges thereof, and combining the re-shaped clipped portion to said unwanted pulse.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the operation of distorting said unwanted pulse includes clipping said unwanted pulse at an amplitude level at least as high. as the amplitude of said wanted pulse, retardingthe clipped portion, and combining the clipped portion to energy of said unwanted pulse.

'7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the operation of distorting said unwanted pulse includes clipping said unwanted pulse at an amplitude level at least as high as the amplitude of said wanted pulse, retarding and reshaping the clipped portion to distort one of the edges thereof and to cause the distorted edge to overlap in time the trailing portion of the unwanted pulse, and combining the clipped portion to energy of said un- Wanted pulse.

8. A method of discriminating between wanted and unwanted electrical pulses of similar shape characteristics where the unwanted pulses are of amplitude greater than the wanted pulses, comprising producing, in response to said unwanted pulses, pulse potentials dissimilar to said unwanted pulses, applying the dissimilar pulse potentials to energy of said unwanted and wanted pulses thereby producing distorted pulses of the clipping the derivation pulses at a level..at least l aslhighein lsaid onepolarity directicnuas' said smaller amplitude-t obtain .a pulse outputlcorresponding to theoccurre'nce of said'wantedpulses.

9. Ametho'd according to claim-.8 where'in the pulse potential producingoperation includes producing a pulse potential difierent from the shape of said unwanted pulses. h

10. A method according to claimfiwherein the pulse potential producing operation includes producing the pulse potentials ata given time disrplacementwith respect to the occurrence of said unwanted pulses. l e

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the pulse potential producing operation includes produeing in synchronism with said unwanted pulses, pulse potentials having a shape dissimilar to the shape of said unwanted pulses. u

' 12. A method of selectively discriminating between electrical pulses of similar shape characteristics and of different amplitudes to elin'i'inate those pulses of amplitude different from a given amplitude; comprising threshold clipping the pulses at a level at least as high as the greatest amplitude ofthose pulses smaller than said given 8 16; 3 A 1 system fordiscriminating between wanted and unwanted electrieal;pulses of similar shape eharacteristics wherethe-nnwanted pulse is? greater in amplitude; comprising means toelip' the unw-anted pulse a-t a level; at -least"as;-'high as the amplitude of -said- --wanted" pulses; means to change-theshape of the clippedportion; means for-proeessing- 'tha'elippedportion to energy of said- -unwanted"pulse to distort; the shape thereof in -accordance *With }the --ehanged-shape of said clipped *portion; 1 means a to process the distortedunwanted-'pulseand saidwanted pulse to produce derivation pulses,--the distortion of the unwanted pulses renderingthepulse derived therefrom smaller than the pulse derived-from said wantedpulse, and {means to clip the derivation; pulses at-atlevel at least as high as 'said-smallerderivation puIse-toobtain-an output pulse correspondin'g 'to said wanted pulse. I I

l llfin system according to claim 16 wherein the maris for' clipping" said unwanted pulse includes amplitude, distorting at leastone edgeof the pulses of-iainplitude greater than said given am.- plitude; difierentiating the distorted pulses and the -puls'es offsaid given amplitude to provide pulses from said distorted edges and the corresponding edgesof :the pulsesofsaid given amplitude, the distortion of said-distorted edges rendering the pulses derived therefrom of smaller-amplitude than pulses derived from the corresponding edges of the pulses ofsaid-givenamplitude;

and clipping the derivation pulses at -alevel at least as high as said smaller amplitude, thereby obtaining a pulse output inaccordance-with the occurrence of the l pulses of fsaid -givenamplitude. g H A 131A system "for; discriminating between wanted and unwanted-electrical pulses ofsimilar shape characteristics where the unwanted pulse 1 is greaterin amplitude, comprising m'eans to distort at least one edge' ofsaidunwanted pulse,

means'to process said wanted and saiddistorted unwanted pulses to derive pulses Lfi'om said distorted edge and the corresponding" edge of said wanted pulse, the distortion of-=saidone ed'ge rendering the pulse derived therefrom of smaller amplitude than the pulse derived from the corresponding edge of the vv antedwpulse, andmeans to clip the derivation pulses at a levelat least-as high as said smaller amplitudeithereby obtaining anoutput pulse corresponding tosaidwant'ed V e H 14. A system according to claimfilfizrwhereinthe means to distort the unwantedpulse comprises vmeans 'fo'rtdecr'easinglat least in' part the slope oi 'saidone edger 5:"

entiating; means, I: 1 e:

a'vaouuintube; and means "to bias the vacuum tiib tb c'uto'fi afi adsi-ied level." j -18; A s'ystem-a'cording'to claim l'fi wherein the means for changing the shape of the" clipped poritio'n' mnudes' a circuit having a condenser adapt ed t be charged and-discharged by the clipped p'or thereby altering the shape of the leading ari'd trail'ing edgesi'th'reofT V V IQZA systemaccording to claim"- 16 wherein the means 'fo'r changing the shape of the clipped portion comprises "a "ircuithaving' a delay charactristicadapted to retard the clipped portion a prdetrniihing'amount so that said clipped por non-overlaps in timej the trailing portion of said uiiwaete'puise. 2 A systemaseoiamg to elated-'6 wherein the gs'aid' clipped portion to energy ofsaid'unw'anted pfilsefincludes a 'r'nixer t neisniimsnsr r varying th'ga'ijn of said tube 7 -Ma y" 9, 1939 .Nov.- 21, 1939 Ange o-21 4 igflb r'lb. V -6, 194

2,29%,341 Moore Aug. 25, 1942 Date ' May-18; 1928 Aug; 20,1940 7 

